Renewable energy sources include solar energy, wind power, tidal wave energy and the like. A solar power conversion system may include a plurality of solar panels connected in series or in parallel. The output of the solar panels may generate a variable dc voltage depending on a variety of factors such as time of day, location and sun tracking ability. In order to regulate the output of the solar panels, the output of the solar panels may be coupled to a power regulator so as to achieve a regulated output voltage at the output of the solar power conversion system. In addition, the solar panels may be connected with a backup battery system through a battery charge control apparatus. During the day, the backup battery is charged through the output of the solar panels. When the power utility fails or the solar panels are an off-grid power system, the backup battery provides electricity to the loads coupled to the solar panels.
To achieve an optimized solar power conversion system, boost converters may be used to get the maximum power out of the solar panels of the solar power conversion system. For example, a boost converter may be coupled between the output of a solar panel and an input of a solar inverter. The boost converter is controlled such that the output of the boost converter generates a suitable voltage source for the solar inverter coupled to the boost converter.
A boost converter comprises a switching element, a blocking device, at least one energy storage element and an output filter. The switching element may be implemented as a MOSFET transistor. The blocking device may be implemented as a diode. The energy storage element may be implemented as an inductor. The output filter may be implemented as a capacitor. The diode and the MOSFET transistor are connected in series across the capacitor. The inductor is coupled between an input power source and the common node of the diode and the MOSFET transistor. The boost converter is used to provide an output voltage higher than an input voltage from the input power source by modulating the width of a pulse applied to the MOSFET transistor.